How much longer can the human race last? (1 Viewer)

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Gazolba

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Will things really get better as the politicians keep promising us or are we doomed by our own progress and exploitation of the Earth's limited resources? Will we last for another 1000 years and end up as pulsating brains inside a glass bowl as portrayed on Star Trek or will some natural or unnatural disaster befall us? And if so, what? I saw a TV program with a panel of experts discussing this very subject and they came to the conclusion that our biggest danger is running out of fresh water. But there are other possibilities like nuclear war, disease pandemic, biological or genetic contamination, collision with a comet or asteroid, a super volcano, or invasion by aliens. Where do you think we will be in 1000 years or wont we be here?
 
Otis

Otis

Well-Known Member
Gazolba said:
Will things really get better as the politicians keep promising us or are we doomed by our own progress and exploitation of the Earth's limited resources? Will we last for another 1000 years and end up as pulsating brains inside a glass bowl as portrayed on Star Trek or will some natural or unnatural disaster befall us? And if so, what? I saw a TV program with a panel of experts discussing this very subject and they came to the conclusion that our biggest danger is running out of fresh water. But there are other possibilities like nuclear war, disease pandemic, biological or genetic contamination, collision with a comet or asteroid, a super volcano, or invasion by aliens. Where do you think we will be in 1000 years or wont we be here?
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Well I won't be I don't think.
 
Marty

Marty

Well-Known Member
Firstly Carl Sagan is amazing, and I've never seen that video before so thank you.

Ultimately our species will die out, one way or another, if we some how make it to when our star turns into a red giant, we'll be burnt alive or even consumed by the star it self. We need to start looking at scientists as the real hero's and not some slag with big tits, the population needs educating to high levels, people need to stop wasting their time watching a box in their living room. We need to focus heavily on renewable energy, especially micro generation. We need to look to the sky and explore, A space program is essential to inspire the next generation to go into fields such as engineering, science and mathematics. We really need to put our differences aside and start working to a collective goal of advancing the human race, saying all that, I don't believe we can sustain the growth of the population of Earth. Something one way or another will have to give out.
 
Gazolba

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Marty said:
<snip>

Ultimately our species will die out, one way or another, <snip>
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Or we could evolve into another species. A more likely scenario is we will gain the ability to manipulate our genetics to create GMH (genetically modified humans) and thus leap-frog evolution. Whether that will result in an improvement or be a disaster is anyone's guess, but I suspect the latter.
 
clint van damme

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
Gazolba said:
Will things really get better as the politicians keep promising us or are we doomed by our own progress and exploitation of the Earth's limited resources? Will we last for another 1000 years and end up as pulsating brains inside a glass bowl as portrayed on Star Trek or will some natural or unnatural disaster befall us? And if so, what? I saw a TV program with a panel of experts discussing this very subject and they came to the conclusion that our biggest danger is running out of fresh water. But there are other possibilities like nuclear war, disease pandemic, biological or genetic contamination, collision with a comet or asteroid, a super volcano, or invasion by aliens. Where do you think we will be in 1000 years or wont we be here?
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a solvable problem with some lifestyle changes but it won't happen.
 
M

Monners

Well-Known Member
Exponential population growth, finite fresh water resource, habitat destruction, climate change, desertification, rising sea levels, deforestation, finite fossil fuel resource, lack of commitment to renewable technology, increased consumption per capita globally - oh yeah, and the sun is due to die in 5 billion years time.

Who needs clean air to breath, clean affordable water to drink and affordable food?

Nobody gives a gnats chuff about the environment - but we will miss it when it's gone.
Does that answer the question?

Nb: I work in the environment sector
 
Covstu

Covstu

Well-Known Member
Monners said:
Exponential population growth, finite fresh water resource, habitat destruction, climate change, desertification, rising sea levels, deforestation, finite fossil fuel resource, lack of commitment to renewable technology, increased consumption per capita globally - oh yeah, and the sun is due to die in 5 billion years time.

Who needs clean air to breath, clean affordable water to drink and affordable food?

Nobody gives a gnats chuff about the environment - but we will miss it when it's gone.
Does that answer the question?

Nb: I work in the environment sector
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Spot on, we wont miss it until people die from something catastrophic. The truth is that this is happening all of the time with tornados, earthquakes and the like but this is just accepted as the norm. For me Mother nature isn't happy and this is her protest. This all comes down to capitalism, if people cannot make money out of things they wont take it seriously. Take renewable energy being a perfect example, why use wind and solar when digging up the planet for money will do.
 
jimmyhillsfanclub

jimmyhillsfanclub

Well-Known Member
Unfortunately the global system of everything we humans have developed is in total conflict with the environment we live in.

It was forgivable when the pioneers of progress didn't know any better or failed to foresee the future implications of the technologies they developed, but now there is NO excuse why we humans continue on our selfish & destructive path to oblivion.....other than greed, ignorance & staggering arrogance.

The only discussion the world should be having about "sustainable growth" is the fact that its an oxymoron!

PS: Check out Chris Packhams essay on "what makes us human"......the man nails it!

http://www.chrispackham.co.uk/news/what-makes-us-human-jeremy-vine-show-podcast
 
RegTheDonk

RegTheDonk

Well-Known Member
I believe there are too many variables to make a call on man's future. But if we want to survive, our ancestors will ultimately have to move elsewhere and evolve into humans without prejudice or beliefs.

Lets just hope disease, war and religious nutballs can be kept in check until we figure out how to discover and harness elements and technologies to achieve this. I'm not hopeful, to be honest.
 
Gazolba

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
If the Earth's population keeps growing at the current rate or an increased rate, we will eventually run out of room. But long before we run out of room, we will run out of food and water to sustain the population. However, there could be a mass die-off due to war, famine, disease or other global disaster that reverts us back to a much smaller population and simpler mode of living. A big concern is is anything happens to us genetically such that we cannot reproduce or can only produce genetically inferior offspring, we could die off in a couple of generations or descend into a semi-human mutant state.
 
Philosoraptor

Philosoraptor

Well-Known Member
There's a great BBC documentary which suggests the population will gradually level off through education etc.



I think with globalisation and the connectivity of our cities the biggest threat is going to come from the smallest of things. A flu pandemic to rival that of the Spanish flu will be so hard to stop.
 
M

Monners

Well-Known Member
It won't be war, it will be lack of reources and lack of adaptation to a changing climate. Humans live by short political and social life cycles - the environment does not work like that.

We have less children now (global trend due to cultural and social change) but use more resources to maintain our lifestyle. This is not sustainable.

Everyone wants a sustainable environment, but no-one wants to pay for, or more importantly, commit it (sustainable living costs less in the long run as you don't have keep fixing if you get it right in the first place). If economic growth remains the key driver then nothing will halt the decline in our natural resources.

Sometimes I wish I didn't work in this sector as the evidence is irrefutable and it frustrates me to say the least . The world will never learn as national and political self interest will always hold sway.

One day it will be too late
 
Gazolba

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Monners said:
It won't be war, it will be lack of reources and lack of adaptation to a changing climate. Humans live by short political and social life cycles - the environment does not work like that.

We have less children now (global trend due to cultural and social change) but use more resources to maintain our lifestyle. This is not sustainable.

Everyone wants a sustainable environment, but no-one wants to pay for, or more importantly, commit it (sustainable living costs less in the long run as you don't have keep fixing if you get it right in the first place). If economic growth remains the key driver then nothing will halt the decline in our natural resources.

Sometimes I wish I didn't work in this sector as the evidence is irrefutable and it frustrates me to say the least . The world will never learn as national and political self interest will always hold sway.

One day it will be too late
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As resources become scarcer and scarcer they will cost more and more and the incentives will increase to find alternatives, but if food and water becomes scarce or all the world's food and/or water becomes polluted (it pretty much is already), there could be a mass die-off and a reduction in fertility. At these levels of scarcity and desperation, there will be a temptation for nations to simply grab the resources of other nations.
 
Marty

Marty

Well-Known Member


Carl Sagan 'Pale Blue Dot' speech is my favourite of his. So thought provoking.

Dr Neil Degrasse Tyson is another favourite of mine. The way hes able to bring complex topics across to the masses in a humours way is amazing.
 
ccfc92

ccfc92

Well-Known Member
It is an incredibly thoughtful, intriguing and scary question all in one. Personally, I haven't been able to cope with the "lights out" of dying, so can not picture it at the minute. Anyone who has, please say.

With regards the human race, I hope we find ways through science of developing ourselves and our planet, not destroying. I think a total world wide ban/disproving of religion will further our development through fear of "playing god" Stem Cells etc and also encourage people to get along with each other.
 
Gazolba

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
ccfc92 said:
<snip> encourage people to get along with each other.
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There are too many divisions in the world for there ever to be peace and tranquility. Rich/Poor, Black/White, Men/Women, Straight/Gay, Christian/Muslim, Young/Old.
 
Philosoraptor

Philosoraptor

Well-Known Member
Just incase anyone missed the remake, here's the promo for the new Cosmos.

Available on all good sharing sites.

 
Gazolba

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
dutchman said:
"If the world was full of identical twins it would still divide into two factions at war with each other" [Jonathan King, circa 1981]
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Very true. I'm sure when there are only two men left on Earth and all the rest have died off, they will fight over something ...
 
A

Ashdown

Well-Known Member
Monners said:
Exponential population growth, finite fresh water resource, habitat destruction, climate change, desertification, rising sea levels, deforestation, finite fossil fuel resource, lack of commitment to renewable technology, increased consumption per capita globally - oh yeah, and the sun is due to die in 5 billion years time.

Who needs clean air to breath, clean affordable water to drink and affordable food?

Nobody gives a gnats chuff about the environment - but we will miss it when it's gone.
Does that answer the question?

Nb: I work in the environment sector
Click to expand...
Absolutely spot and chief of all these things without doubt is the growth in human population to the detriment of all other species and resources.
 
Ian1779

Ian1779

Well-Known Member
Monners said:
and at least the Wasps leased will have expired by then
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As long as Anne Lucas' descendent doesn't infiltrate the council and give them a million years lease for 5 magic beans... Despite being offered eleventy billion pounds by CCFC.
 
Gazolba

Gazolba

Well-Known Member
Ashdown said:
Absolutely spot and chief of all these things without doubt is the growth in human population to the detriment of all other species and resources.
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The problem is the World's economies are driven by growth, and growth is not sustainable. More people means more demand for goods and services, and this is what a capitalist economy thrives on. We would need to rethink our entire economic model in order to halt and reverse this trend. I cannot envision this ever happening because there are too many rich and powerful people (and nations) benefiting from the status quo.
 
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